


Hope

by coopbastian



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry and Cisco talk about it, Drabble, Established Cisco/Julian, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Future Barry/Cisco/Julian, Julian is only mentioned, M/M, Other, implied internalized homophobia, post-3x02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 09:11:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8973667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coopbastian/pseuds/coopbastian
Summary: post-3x02 sort of flashvibe drabble with cisco/julian and implied future barry/cisco/julian





	

**Author's Note:**

> previously posted on tumblr

It takes a while for Barry to work up the courage to step into Cisco’s hideout again, but he’s a bit hopeful after Cisco saved him at the warehouse. And he’s just...itching for answers that he isn’t sure he’s ready to hear. 

“Can I help you?” Cisco asks without turning around, and Barry almost jumps from being startled. “You’ve been standing there for like, fifteen minutes and I’m starting to feel the holes being drilled into my back.”   


Barry ducks his head sheepishly, stepping inside and hesitantly walks over to where Cisco is working on his gauntlets. Barry can’t help but smile a little this time at the fact that his best friend is working on his _own_ suit. 

“Uh, hey,” Barry finally says, and it actually makes Cisco let out a small laugh.   


“Hey,” Cisco says, looking up from his work and brushing his hair back. “Is there...a reason you’re...?”   


“Oh, y-yeah! Yeah...” Barry clears his throat before he takes an empty chair nearby, his palms suddenly becoming sweaty and his heart beating faster than normal (or, speedster-normal, really). “Uhm...I was just--I was wondering about...Julian.” It annoys him to say his name, but he has to know. He has to. 

Cisco raises an eyebrow at him. “Yeah...? What about Julian?” 

Oh god, why is this one of the hardest thing he’s ever done? Barry swallows a lump down his throat. “Well--before, when you said he’s awesome. I just...what did you mean by that?” 

Cisco is still giving him a look and Barry almost wants to whoosh out of there, but he stays put and waits for the dreaded answer. 

“I mean that he’s awesome?” Cisco says, folding his arms over his chest. “We hung out a few times, and he’s a really great person if you actually took the time to get to know him.”   


Barry is starting to scratch the back of his head now, trying to avoid making eye contact with the other man, still processing how and why would Julian Albert be nice to his team but _not_ him? “Yeah, but...what d’you _really_  mean, Cisco? I just...I don’t understand.” 

At this, Cisco lets out a long sigh, brushing his hair back away from his face once more. “Right, I forgot. You wouldn’t know what happened. Since you...yeah. Okay. Well--he was...there for me, alright?” 

Ouch. Barry should’ve figured that Cisco would want to seek a friend in someone else, but still. It hurts. He’s rubbing his hands onto his jeans, wishing they would stop sweating. 

“Julian was the one who referred me to the grief support group,” Cisco continues. “He noticed how depressed I’ve gotten and he decided to help. Since then, we hung out a lot more and he’s just been...he’s been really, really caring and supportive and understanding. He...gets me.” 

That’s when it hits Barry. Worse than Oliver Queen’s arrows. He almost falls out of his chair and he can feel his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. 

“O-oh! You...you guys are...”   


Cisco bites his lip. “Yeah...” 

“Oh.”   


“Yep.”  


“How long?”   


“Just about a month now.”   


Barry is suddenly nauseous for some reason. “And...is that why he hates me?”

Cisco lets out a light chuckle, though, which definitely surprises him. “There’s actually a little more to that, dude. He’s working through some stuff, which is why we’re kinda on the down-low, but...let’s just say that he doesn’t hate _you_ exactly.” He pauses for a moment, glancing away. “It’s more like, ‘why are you so damn hot I hate you’ sort of thing?” 

Barry stares him, his brain trying to process everything. What the hell does this even _mean?_ He just got more questions than answers. 

But Cisco laughs again and it makes Barry’s heart flutter a bit. “That should be something you and him talk about,” he says. “I mean--it’s going to take some time, but...if you’re willing to hear him out...” 

Barry still doesn’t understands. The fact that his best friend and the man that hates his damn guts are seeing each other is still overwhelming him--and for some strange reason, Barry wishes that there could be a chance for him to be somewhere in that relationship. He has no idea why or how, though. 

So he answers, “Yeah. Okay, sure. If...if he makes you happy, I can try.” 

Cisco then smiles softly at him. “Cool.” 

Barry still has more questions than answers, but he leaves the room with the image of Cisco smiling at him for the first time since he’s returned. There is definitely hope that he could fix this.


End file.
